Pleasure-lake and slide-course and conveyer therefor



(No Model.)

5 Sheets-Sheet 1.

G A IDLER PLEASURE LAKE AND SLIDE 00mm: AND GONVEY'ER'THEREPOR.

Patented Oct. 22,1895.

M. PHOTO-UTHQWASHINGTUNJ C.

(No Model.) 5 Sheets-Sheet 2.

C. A. IDLER. PLEASURE LAKE AND SLIDE COURSE AND GONVBYER THEREFOR. No. 548,256. Patented Oct. 22, 1895.

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(No Mode 1.) 5 Sheets-Sheet s. G. A. IDLER. PLEASURE LAKE AND SLIDE COURSE ANJ) GONVEYER THEREFOR.

No. 548,256. Patented 001;. 2-2, 1895 "AM. PHOTUIJTHQWASNINGIDN .D C

(No Model.) 5 Sheets-Sheet 4;

O. A. IDLBR. PLEASURE LAKE AND sLIDE COURSE AND GONVEYER THEREFOR.

No. 548,256. Patented Oct. 22, 1895.

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(No Model.) 7

V 0; A.'IDLER. PLEASURE LA KE AND SLIDE COURSE AND GONVEYER THEREFOR. I

No. 548,256. Patented Oct. 22, 1895.

W. Ma/m4 7 mLM/ZC M. PHOTO-H1110 WASHINFWNJLC.

.NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES A. IDLER, OF ATLANTIOCITY, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO JOHN Q. ADAMS, OF ATGO, NEW JERSEY.

PLEASURE-LAKE'AND SLIDE-COURSE AND CONVEYER THEREFOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 548,256, dated October 22, 1895.

Application filed August 17, 1895. Serial No. 559,576. (No model.)

.To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES A. IDLER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Atlantic City, in the county of Atlantic and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Pleasure-Lakes and Sliding-Courses and Conveyors Therefor, of which the following is a specification.

My invention has relation to pleasurecourses for summer and other resorts of a character in which an artificial lakeis employed in conjunction with a slide or slides adapted for cars, boats, or similar conveyers, which are arranged so as to be precipitated by gravity into the lake from the slide or slides, and so as to ride the body of water, as it were, by a skip action over the same, and the cars, boats, or other conveyers elevated over the course or courses to the summit of the incline or inclines by suitable lifting mechanism for another trip, furnishing thereby exhilarating amusement for not only the young, but also the old; and in such connection it relates particularly to the general construction and arrangement of the course or courses, whereby those participating in the sport by gravity may be precipitated into and over the body of Water from the incline or inclines and returned to the summit of the incline or inclines by lifting mechanism without change of conveyer or boats, if desired, for another trip.

lhe principal object of my invention is to provide a comparatively simple, exhilarating, as well as healthful pleasure-course for summer or other resorts, combining as to the sport somewhat the pleasure incident to tobogganing, as well as boating, and employing gravity in the descent of the appliance along the incline into and over the body of water by skip action and manual or other propulsion of the appliance to the home-point, or for the elevation of said appliance by a lifting mechanism to the summit of the incline for another trip.

My invention, stated in general terms, consists of a pleasure-lake and slide-course and conveyers therefor, constructed and arranged in substantially the manner hereinafter described and claimed.

The nature and scope of my invention will be more fully understood from the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, forming part hereof, in which Figure 1 is a top or plan view of a pleasure double course and conveyers adapted to be employed in connection therewith embodying features of my invention. Fig. 2 is a side elevational view of that portion of the course adapted by a lifting mechanism to permit of the elevation of cars to the summit of the structure, the lake connected with the course, the ticket office on one side, and the entrance to the conveyers and exit from the same. Fig. 3 is a top or plan view of a singlecourse structure, showing the lake with its canal near the home-p0int-,the boats or cars in their travel therethrough, as indicated by the arrows, after descent into the said lake by gravity from the incline or chute, and which by manual or other propulsion are adapted to be brought to the home-point through the canal of the lake for elevation again or for the discharge of passengers, and showing also the mechanism for lifting or elevating the boats or cars to the summit of the structure for another trip. Fig. 4. is a side elevational view of the structure, showing the incline, a boat or car, and elevating means with its actuating mechanism controlled by an engine or other prime mover. Fig. 5 is a top or plan view of the turn-table at the summit of the structure of Figs. 1 and 2 and the actuating mechanism therefor controlled by an engine or other motor. Fig. 6 is an end elevational view of a car or boat with its friction rolls or travelers on the respective sides adapted to engage boards of the chutes projecting upward therefrom, the provisions onthe bottom for gripping the hooks or sprockets of the cable or chain, and the side-handles for the occupants of the boat or car or similar conveyer. Fig. 7 is a view in elevation of the cable, and in section of the bottom of a car or boat, showing how the hooks or pawls of the cable engage therewith for elevating the same to the summit of the structure. Fig. 8 is a cross-sectional view of a boat or car on the line a: a: of Fig. 7, showing the gripping device connected with an endless cable for elevating the passenger-conveyer to the summit of the structure. Fig. 9 is a side elevational View of an undulating-chute of the structure of either Figs. 1 or 3, and Fig. 10 is a side elevational view in detail of the clutch-operating mechanism for controlling the positions of the turn-table.

Referring to the drawings, A represents the stilted inclined superstructure of iron, wood, or other material provided with channeled undulating chutes a and a, as illustrated in Figs. 1, 3, and 9. These chutes flare, preferably, outward at the base a in different directions, as illustrated in Fig. 1, into an artificially-formed lake or body of water B, provided with a surrounding dike or railing b, for example as illustrated in Figs. 1, 2, 3, and 9 of the drawings. On the respective sides of the incline structure A, illustrated in Fig. 1, are endless sprocketed or hook cables G for engaging the bottom of a car, boat or other preferred passenger-conveyer D, so as to permit of the elevation of the same, either loaded or empty, to the summit A of the inclined structure, whereat is located a rotatable turn-table E for conveying each boat, or car D to the channeled chute a or a of the structure A, through which undulating chute the boat or car is precipitated by gravity into and over the body of water or artificial lake B by a skip action without wetting those participating in the sport.

At the base A of theinclined structure, on one or both sides thereof, is or are arranged ticket-offices F and passage-ways f and f, leading to and from the boats or cars D. Adjacent to the starting or loading point and between the surrounding wall of the lake or body of water B and located therein is a partition or canal II, through which canal the boats, by an attendant in charge of each, are propelled by means of oars or other means to the discharging-point A of the lake or into a position where those participating in the sport, without alighting from the boat or car D, may again make another trip after elevation by the endless hooked or sprocketed cable G to the rotatable turn table E, whereon and whereby the boat or car is caused to quickly assume such a position as to be permitted to descend by gravity through either the channeled undulating chute a or a into and over the lake B, and thence bymanual propulsion of the attendant in charge to the home-point A for another trip.

Each boat or car D is provided on the sides with traveler friction-rolls d and 61, contacting with the walls of the channeled chutes a or a, as clearly illustrated in Fig.6. ()n the bottom of each boat or car D, about the center of the same, is set in a rack or the like (1 for engaging the prongs, hooks, or sprockets g of the endless cable G, as fully illustrated in Figs. 4, 7, and '8, so as to permit of the safe elevation of each car along the inclined structure A to the summit A thereof. Each car or boat may be provided with means for preventing retrograde movement thereof in the event of the cable failing through any cause to engage the racks of the car or boat.

I is an engine or other prime mover for actuating the endless cable G by means of pulleys i, mounted on shafts t" and t pulleys i crossbelts i and pulleys i of the shaft 2', which latter is driven by the engine I, and the turntable E, actuated by means of pulleys j and j and a belt j under the control of said prime mover I through clutches and 70', fixed and movable on the shaft 70 the movable clutch member It being provided with forked bellcrank levers k one of which is provided with an operating-handle 70 for permitting of the intermittent operation, as required, of the turn-table E to transfer each boat or car D as it is elevated to the summit A of the structure, onto the gravity-chute ct or ct for conducting the boator car into the lake B.

It may be here remarked that the arrangement of the pulleys and belts for actuating the endless cable continuously is such as that, by the operation of the clutch hand-lever 7.2 as above explained, the turn-table E may be manipulated to shift or transfer each of the boats or cars elevated to a gravity course of the structure.

The structure of Fig. 3 differs from that of Fig. l in that the latter is a single structure, while the former is a double structure, both as to the gravity descent of the passengerconveyers, as well as to the elevation of the cars or boats to the summit of the structure.

It will be manifestly obvious that as to details of the means for elevating the cars, whether by cable or sprocketed conveyers, as Well as to the structure of the boats or cars, modifications may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of my invention, and hence I do not wish to be understood as limiting myself to the precise construction and arrangement of all the parts of the structure or of the appliances illustrated and hereinbefore explained; but

Having thus described the nature and ob jects of my invention, what I claim as new,

and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-- 1. The combination with an inclined structure extending into a trough or basin adapted to contain water to constitute a lake, having a canal formed in the basin to define the home point of the course, of an endless carrier provided with engaging devices, a passenger conveyer provided with side rolls to engage the sides of a gravity chute and a rack set into the bottom of the conveyor to engage the devices of said carrier and means, as described, for controlling said carrier and permitting of the transfer of each conveyor at the summit of the structure into said gravity chute so as to permit of its descent over the lake by a skip action, substantially as described.

2. The combination with an inclined structure and a basin for containing water to constitute a lake having a canal formed in said body of water to define the home point of the course, starting points located thereat or thereabout, endless elevating mechanism, a turntable at or about the summit of the structure and a channeled undulating chute or chutes extending downward from the structure to said body of water and provided with flaring ends, of a passenger conveyer adapted to travel by gravity along said chute or chutes and into and over the body of water, substantially as described.

3. The combination of an inclined structure, a lake having a canal formed and located near the home point of the course, channeled chutes provided in the inclined structure, cars or boats provided with side rollers adapted to travel through said chutes by gravity into and over said lake, an endless hook or sprocketed conveyer adapted to engage a rack or the like in the bottom of each car or boat, means for transferring an elevated car or boat to said chute, and means for controlling the operation of said conveyer and transfer of the boat or car to said chute preparatory to the descent of the same by gravity along the same, substantially as described.

4. The combination with an inclined structure, having channeled chutes and power actuating endless hook or sprocket conveyers and a turn-table at the summit of the structure, of a passenger conveyer provided with side rolls and hand-rails and a bottom rack, a motor and actuating mechanism for said endless conveyer and turn-table, clutches and an operating lever for intermittently actuating said turn-table, substantially as and for the purposes described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my signature in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

CHAS. A. IDLER. Witnesses:

THOMAS M. SMITH, J. WALTER DOUGLASS. 

